Thursday, January 16, 2025
Wicked Costumes: Paul Tazewell Interview
www.indiewire.com: Early on, “Wicked” costume designer Paul Tazewell decided that the beauty of Oz needed to be reflected in the wardrobes of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande). This would help define their identities as part of the magical world envisioned by director Jon M. Chu. He took inspiration from “Oz,” the “Wicked” novel, and nature.
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Understanding every detail that went into the creation of these costumes really makes me appreciate the movie even more. I love love love that Glinda’s costume was created by a lot of Fibonacci spirals and just all the symmetry really makes sense for her as a character. I feel like the challenges of costuming for the movie when there is already such a huge established literature on the movie are huge because there is such a great expectation to provide something that is fresh and original but also still stays true to what the universe is already built to be and what is already a wildly successful musical on Broadway. It is so interesting to me to see how detailed the world building is and what the thought processes behind each decision in the costuming are. This was such an informative article and I wish that in the future, there would be more articles like this where I could read about the different processes that go behind iconic shows like this.
I’m fascinated by how these visual elements go beyond mere aesthetics to mirror the internal struggles and themes of the characters. Tazewell’s approach to Glinda’s wardrobe, with its sparkling, bubbly pinks, seems to reflect her light, ethereal personality—like something created to enchant and delight. It made me think of the way lighting in drama can elevate characters’ emotional states or themes, often working hand-in-hand with costumes to create a more immersive experience. The iridescence in Glinda’s wardrobe isn’t just a visual tool; it’s a tangible representation of her outwardly sparkling nature, yet with an underlying artifice that matches her superficial charm.In contrast, Elphaba’s designs, inspired by nature and the darker, more grounded elements of Oz, use textures that suggest organic, earthy beauty—like mushrooms and fungus.
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